These Trickster Packaging Designs Were Filled With Broken Promises

4. Another Case of Same Contents, Different Packaging, Higher Price

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During Pride Month, the "rainbow washing" technique shows how businesses could profit from social movements without really adding any value to their goods. This particular Oreo cookie case study shows this phenomena exactly. Without changing the actual product inside, the company just repackled their ordinary cookies in Pride-themed packaging and raised the price by $1.50. Especially instructive is this pricing difference, which reflects pure profit gained from social cause marketing. Though it costs less, the usual package includes the exact same cookies produced with the same ingredients in the same amounts. This approach begs important issues regarding business legitimacy in helping social issues. Although businesses say they honour diversity and inclusion by means of such programmes, the act of charging extra fees for just ornamental purposes points to a more cynical profit-driven motivation. This strategy not only perhaps takes advantage of LGBTQ+ customers but also minimises the significance of Pride events.